


Meet the family

by Beeexx



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Meet the Family, Past Drug Addiction, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29181633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beeexx/pseuds/Beeexx
Summary: Carlos meets Gwyneth Strand for the first time.Set before 2x01, a missing scene.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 14
Kudos: 172





	Meet the family

**Author's Note:**

> The bane of my existence really is naming my fics...I really don't like it haha.
> 
> This was an emotional writing journey for me. I hope you enjoy it.

TK has spent the better part of the week in offices of higher ups, getting cleared for active duty again, which means he hasn’t had the time to see Carlos much at all. But he’s been looking forward to lunch together all week, and therefore, he spends the better part of it sending him looks that Carlos can read into however he wants to, but judging by the slightest tightening of his grip around the fork or how his foot keeps climbing higher up TK’s leg, almost unconsciously, he’s definitely thinking along similar lines as TK is.

Not that the lunch isn’t lovely and being in Carlos’ presence is making TK feel a little like a moth to the flame, Carlos’ undivided attention on him is unlike anything he’s ever experienced before, a little addictive for sure and TK knows all about what that’s like. But this is the good kind of high, the one leaving you with tingles all over, wide smiles that are real and butterflies in your chest.

But putting all the lovey dovey feelings he’s definitely experiencing aside, he’s also, and unashamedly so, a little horny and he hasn’t had sex in ages because of this stupid injury and Carlos’ stupid (and hot) caring side that refuses to give in to TK’s puppy dog eyes because strenious ativities are not yet approved by the doctor. Or they haven’t been, until now, so now he’s going to look at his boyfriend and put all kinds of images in his head that they can later on reenact in his bedroom. 

Yep TK is a genius. 

On the drive over to TK’s he can barely keep his hands to himself though, biting at his lip, hard to prevent himself from reaching out for Carlos and causing an accident, that would defeat the purpose of the car ride altogether, even though it’s really tempting. His house is closer and Owen is on a shift, yes TK double checked so the promise of an empty house and a whole afternoon to take advantage of, is making him feel extremely happy, butterflies in his stomach kind of happy, while he also has to remind himself that they’ll arrive soon and he doesn’t need to attach himself to Carlos just yet.

But it’s proving to be really hard, the anticipation in the air between getting harder and harder to ignore. 

Once they do make it to TK's house, he immediately pulls Carlos close, his patience all but gone now when they’re finally able to touch and Carlos seems to be in a similar position to him. He pulls TK closer, shifts a little so the angle TK is currently in allows him to rub perfectly up against Carlos’s crotch, the outline of his dick digging into the inside of TK’s thigh.

Yep he needs to get them inside now.

Carlos presses up against his back as TK tries to unlock the door, leaving kisses on the exposed skin, making goosebumps erupt all over TK’s body, making it even more difficult to focus on the task at hand. The door finally makes a triumphant click and TK turns, meeting Carlos’ hungry lips before he twists the door open, the both of them stumbling inside, hands never leaving each other. The door shuts and Carlos pushes TK up against it and finally TK thinks, kissing back with the vigor of a man who has not been kissed like this by his boyfriend for days. Carlos hands travel down to the hem of his shirt, ready to throw it off. He feels the slowburn of arousal in the pit of his stomach, making him shift on his feet.

There is a cough and clearing of someone’s throat that makes both TK and Carlos freeze up in each other’s arms. TK closes his eyes and leans his head on Carlos’ sturdy chest before he thinks ‘oh God no’. 

Carlos has gone rigid instead, one hand braced against the door in an awkward fashion, his eyes trained on the ground. TK looks up, blushes all over when he spots Gwyneth sitting by the kitchen island, smirk in place and looking way too comfortable that anyone in her position should have the right to be.

“Honey.” She says teasingly and TK groans and steps out from Carlos’ arms, putting some distance between them, but makes sure to keep close.

“Mom.” He says tightly. “I thought you were arriving on Thursday.”

“It is Thursday.” She says.

“What? Right, right…” He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up, feeling like the floor has been pulled out from underneath the ground, swallowing TK whole. Fuck why is this his life?

Carlos clears his throat a few times and finally turns around, fixing his shirt, eyes flitting nervously around the room before landing on his mom. Gwyneth smirks when he finally dares to meet her eyes.

“Carlos, it’s nice to meet you, I have heard a lot about you.” She smiles, all hard edges and shark like. For all of Owen’s faults, at least he has always been supportive, that cannot be said about his mother. Carlos gulps, clearly sensing that he might not be welcome. 

“Mom.” TK tries intervening but Gwyneth clicks her tongue at him, softening her smile slightly though.

“You really are like your dad aren’t you…” She mutters but she comes forward, chique pantsuit on, hair falling in long messy curls behind her back, light makeup on, looking way too put together for someone who has spent almost 4 hours on a plane should do. 

“Did TK tell you that this isn’t the first time this has happened by the way? I once walked in on him when he was maybe 16, it was his first boy -”

“Mom!” He interrupts, ears the colour of lobsters and he keeps shooting glances at Carlos who looks like he isn’t sure if he’s supposed to leave or not. 

“Mom.” He tries again, shooting her a reproachful glare and she bites her lip, eyes gleeful. But she sips her mouth shut.

“What are you doing here? How did you even get in?”

“Your dad picked me up from the airport and drove me here.”

“Right, and no one thought to tell me?”

“He said you’d be out for lunch with Carlos. I take it the plans changed.” TK groans.

“No those plans were intact, we just decided to come here for dessert.” It’s a terrible terrible joke to make and TK regrets it immediately because Carlos winces and his mother smirks, her quick mind already coming up with ten different ways to match that reply.

“Don’t.” He warns and she chuckles, holds her hands up, backing off. 

But she doesn’t stay placated for long, she never has, and she comes forward, smile intact but somehow managing to wear an expression of impassiveness as well, her eyes fixed on Carlos as she puts her hand forward for him to shake. He looks at it for a moment, obviously confused before he puts his hand in hers in a jerky movement. She shakes it, firmly but Carlos has pulled himself together enough to match it and she looks a little less hostile immediately.

“Carlos, it’s nice to meet you, I’m Gwyneth.” Their eyes meet, and her eyes are sharp and alert, probably already having categorised everything she’s gauged about Carlos’ down in her head, already started a mental list of hers. 

His mother’s sharpness and her uncanny ability to be too adept at reading a room, any room, has served her well in her professional life. It hasn’t served TK well at all, and he learnt quickly that lying to her never worked well at all. Well apart from the drugs, that one TK hid so well that he would have probably been able to get away with it for years longer, had his dad not accidentally come home one evening and found him puking his guts out in the bathroom. Apart from that it’s been a major argument between him and his mother, her inability, that he called judgment and she called intuition, to leave that by the door or at her job, and not make up her mind about TK’s friends and boyfriends, before they were even able to make a case for themselves. 

So TK feels bad for Carlos, because he knows all too well what it feels like to be on the other side of her scrutiny. 

“Yes, Mrs. Strand, it’s nice to meet you too.” Carlos says and he looks a little more at ease, probably faking it well, but Gwyneth studies his face a moment longer before she nods admicabally, and it’s as good of an improval from her that it can be at the moment. 

“So, do you want to stay?”

“He’s not staying.” TK interrupts, he isn’t putting himself nor Carlos through an interrogation from her right now. He might need to prep Carlos for that and himself too for that matter. 

“I guess I’m not staying.” Carlos says, and it makes Gwyneth chuckle, looking between the two of them before her eyes land on TK, her eyebrow lifting in a silent question.

“But it was nice to meet you, if you’re in town for some time I’m sure we can find a time for dinner or coffee or something.”

“Yes, you know what I’m sure that’s possible.” But it’s sais genuinely so thank fuck for that. 

Carlos nods his goodbye and TK follows him to the door, feeling his mother’s eyes at the back of his neck, very obviously listening to them. He opens the door to give them some privacy and steps outside with Carlos, closing the door firmly behind them. He leans against it, feeling the air go out of him completely. Carlos is silent, waiting for him to speak.

“Soooo, that’s my mother.”

“She’s intense…”

“Tell me about it...I’m sorry, I forgot she was coming to town this week.”

“Well I guess I’m not the first to meet her this way.” Carlos jokes but it lightens the mood between them and honestly TK’s never been happier to date someone who can joke about something that could have become a massive thorn in their side going forward. Not everyone is fond of overprotective mothers. 

“Yeah… no, that was way worse than this though. She can be vicious when she wants to, that's all I’m saying, you’ve already passed her first test.”

“There are tests I need to pass?” TK shrugs awkwardly.

“Probably…”

“Well, I better bring my A game then.” TK huffs, but it turns into a soft little smile because he really can’t believe Carlos. Most people would have run for the hills by now and decided this is not worth it. Well most people would have probably run for the hills when they found out he was an addict. 

Carlos is proving to be the exception to most of the rules. 

TK steps up close and pulls him in, kissing him hard on the mouth, pulling a groan and a hiss out of Carlos who cradles his face close to slow it down before they both get too lost in each other.

Carlos is the one to stop it completely though, his eyes dark and flush high on his cheeks, looking absolutely gorgeous, and he holds TK’s head in his hands, stroking a thumb up and down his cheek gently before he smiles softly.

“I’ll call you.”

“Yeah, yeah, do that.” TK says breathlessly and Carlos leans forward to gently kiss his lips, before he steps away, TK missing him immediately. 

Before he goes back in to face his mother he needs a moment to catch his breath. He counts to 5 in his head before he opens the door and goes back in.

She’s sitting where he left her, typing away on her phone, but she puts it down when he comes towards her, lifting an eyebrow.

“Can I say hi to my son now?”

“You probably shouldn’t be allowed to after you scared my boyfriend off.” But he’s already opening his arms and she huffs, steps in close and hugs him tightly, her hard exterior melting away now when it’s just the two of them. He closes his eyes, admitting that it is nice to see her. She steps back, cups his face in her hands to look at him properly. He lets her, knows she will not calm down until she’s allowed her little ritual. 

“How are you?” She asks.

“I’m good.” She gives him a piercing look and doesn’t say anything.

“I am good! I swear.” He defends and she huffs, kisses his cheek before she steps away. 

“Good, good.” She takes out her suitcase, it’s massive, and opens it up.

“Mom, you are here for 10 days, why have you packed like you’re going to be here for months?” She heaves an unimpressed sigh and grunts, flipping the suitcase on its back before she opens it up.

“Now, now. One never knows, there could be an emergency.”

“That requires these?” He holds up the Prada heels skeptically and she rolls her eyes, grabs them out of his hands.

“These are the latest in my suede collection, they’re gorgeous right?”

“Yes, yes, they are. Still, it doesn’t answer my earlier question.” He points out. She ignores him and starts to riffle through her things before she picks up a baby blue paper bag that’s been wrapped securely in an airtight plastic bag.

“Now, that’s no way to treat your mother that comes bearing gifts.” She hands it to him and he can’t help but let out the little happy squeal as he rips it out of her hands.

“Aw you shouldn't have.” She chuckles at his delight and he immediately stands up and puts the bag down on the counter, hands twitching in anticipation, just staring at it lovingly. 

“You’re not a child, you can eat cookies whenever you want.”

“I’m 27 and I live at home.” He points out.

“Well, that is all your own doing.” But she kisses his cheek lovingly and he huffs, happy that they can still joke about the elephant in the room. He rips the bag open, mouth salivating at the sight, can’t wait any longer when the smell of freshly baked cookies hit him. 

“How is Fred? Did you tell him hi for me?” He asks, mouth around a chocolate chip cookie, munching away happily as the heavenly taste spreads around in his mouth. The cookie is still soft in the middle, it’s beautiful. 

“He is good, he says hi back and that he misses his favorite customer. Apparently Lily has started high school, can you believe?”

TK can’t, he used to remember her being so young, but she’s always been sassy and she’s going to give poor Fred hell.

Fred’s bakery was a little corner place a few blocks away from TK’s apartment. He used to go there way too often and buy all the sweet pastries in his way. The cookies quickly became a favorite, and he became Fred’s favourite customer because of it. He misses the place dearly. He still hasn’t found a bakery here in Austin he likes as much as that one, and when he keeps telling Carlos that he huffs, having become set on finding a place that will make TK just as happy as Fred’s did back in New York. TK isn’t going to complain, it’s been a fun little activity to play while he’s been on the mend and Carlos’ is almost ridiculous in his categorically organised note taking of the whole thing, dead set on finding him the perfect pastry. If it were anyone else, it would be ridiculous, but because it is Carlos and it’s a thing that’s been made to be about him, TK is just so touched and charmed by it that he’s willing to admit that Texas does have an amazing food scene, even the posh New Yorker in him is willing to admit as much. 

“Did you give me this do distract me from all the clothes you brought?” He asks again.

“No, don’t be a smartass, clothes are no joke. Also are you sure you should be mouthing off to me? You own like 20 jumpers in the same colour alone, don’t come at me.” He snorts and it brings a laugh out of her, he’s missed their banter, he really has. 

“They are not all in the same colour.” He pouts, but it shortly melts into a smile instead. “I’ve missed you.” He admits and her smile goes soft before she steps in close allowing him to pull her into a hug. 

“I’ve missed you too kiddo, so coffee, I’m in desperate need of some.”

“Yeah, yeah, let me.”

“Don’t be silly, do you even know how to work that ridiculous coffee maker?”

“You have the exact same one at your apartment, I’ve used that plenty.” He points out, making her smirk but she walks over, easily enough making herself one, looking way too familiar with the setup.

“You want one?” He shakes his head. She lifts an eyebrow.

“One a day.” He says and she nods.

TK can drink coffee, sometimes he indulges. But he tries not to have any on the days he’s off, it tends to make him a little jittery and being prone to anxiety, he tends to avoid getting his heart rate up unnecessarily high normally, or at least when it comes to drinks and food. When it comes to other stuff he’s none too happy to overindulge a bit in, particularly if their name is Carlos Reyes. 

He goes over to the fridge and takes out the tropical green smoothie from Whole Foods his dad stocks up on and Gwyneth snorts.

“That looks blergh.”

“You’re like a child.” He laughs. “It’s not the worst of his insane food ideas.” 

“No, it really isn't.” She agrees.

“His food regime hasn’t totally gone down at the station, not as well as he’d hoped at least. He tried a cheese burger a while back.”

“Did he now? Wow he’s a changed man.” She jokes and TK delights in having an ally to make fun of his dad with, someone that knows him and loves him enough that it’s okay.

And even after the divorce Owen and Gwyneth usually ganged up on him, it’s nice to have someone to side with from time to time. He sits down beside her as she sips at her coffee.

“It’s a nice place.” She comments, looks around, taking note.

“The prices are insanely low compared to New York.”

“Yes, one of the many advantages. Speaking of New York, a nice little couple moved into your apartment, did you know?”

“Yeah, dad said.”

“They seem nice.”

“Did you threaten them about the carpet in the bedroom?”

“I did, I told them how expensive it was.” She winks.

“You’re menace.”

“Yep, so what should we talk about first?”

“You really don’t know subtlety”

“I do, but I haven’t seen you in months and you are either too busy with work to reply to my texts or calls, or in a coma, or with your boyfriend, so I don’t have the time to beat around the bush.”

“In my defence, the coma wasn’t on purpose.”

“So, are you cleared for duty?” She ignores him and he nods, her eyes studying him close.

“Yeah just got cleared.”

“Good, 100%?”

“No, part time for a while.” She draws in a breath, relieved to hear.

“And therapy?” He sighs.

“She’s not like Doctor Harris, but she’s not bad either, just different.”

“Well I vetted her so.” He rolls his eyes.

“I know, you and dad really have no chill.”

“Not when it comes to you no. And so how are you?”

“Good, and that’s not a lie. Life has been weird, all over the place, crazy and hectic and in it I met Carlos who seems to have been the only stable thing in it all. But yes, it’s actually good for once.” Gwyneth smiles, proud.

“Good, I am happy to hear, really happy to hear. He seems -”

“If you insult him I’m leaving.” Her eyes widen and she burst out laughing. 

“I was going to say that I like him actually.”

“Oh? Oh, okay well that’s good.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting him properly and not when you try and rip his clothes off.” He blushes and groans.

“God, I’m never living that down am I?”

“Honey, you have a tendency to be a little bit of a mess, I’m sure you’ll find something to do soon enough that I can tease you about, in the meantime, nope, you’re not living it down.”

“Great.” She laughs and ruffles his hair lovingly. 

“I’m good at reading people, you know this, I like him, he’s different to all your previous boyfriends.”

“Different from Alex you mean.” She sighs, takes her hand away.

It’s no secret that Gwyneth has never been a fan of Alex. While Owen has almost always been supportive and hidden his disagreements when TK makes decisions he doesn’t like, Gwyneth has always been very vocal about what she thinks. Almost too vocal at times when he does things she really doesn’t like, and TK being TK and definitely his parent’s child, he’s done a lot of things she didn’t approve of. 

Alex being one of them. 

“TK I don’t want to fight, but yes, very different from Alex.” TK sighs, he doesn’t want to fight either and particularly not over fucking Alex.

“Yeah, fine…”

“I’ll have to get to know Carlos better but he clearly adores you.” TK’s eyes snap to hers trying to see if she’s lying, she isn’t. She is looking back at him with a knowing look in her eyes and TK averts his eyes, blushing and she giggles.

“Oh wow, you’re really taken by him too?”

“Shut up.” She laughs.

“I’m happy for you. I really am.”

“Thanks.” He whispers.

“Tell me everything.” He groans but sits up.

“It started badly.” But TK’s got to admit, gossiping about his love life or his life in general is something he’s missed doing with his mother. Owen is good at it but he’s just not her, doesn’t have her sharpness and wit.

“Really?”

“Terribly, which is why you have to be nice to him, he put up with me and that’s hard enough for anyone.”

“Oh shut up, you’re not a burden.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She scoffs when he doesn’t take her seriously, and moves forward, grabbing his face forcing him to look at her. She looks sad, the look she gets when TK is either being difficult or when she feels powerless and heartbroken, unable to reach him at all. He’s used to being on the receiving end of it, particularly after becoming an addict, and her face has often been shrouded in soft concern when they talk about it. 

It used to make his skin crawl in discomfort, the pity too much for him to bear. Now, he thinks she’s earned the right to care about him this way, she’s been through it all with him, and she’s the only one he can tolerate the pity with.

“I mean it, not a burden, not now and not ever and if Carlos thinks so he doesn’t deserve you at all.” TK’s mouth twitches, Gwyneth’s overprotectiveness can be worse than Owen’s aloofness to all his decisions. It’s a fine line to walk between two parents that sometimes either care too little or way too much about what he does. TK still hasn’t found a perfect way to walk between it yet. 

“He definitely doesn’t think so.”

“No?”

“No, mom, god, he’s been nothing but nice and supportive.” She studies his face closer, slightly frowning.

“I take it he knows about the addiction then?” TK nods, shrugs.

“It kind of became inevitable after a while, especially after I got arrested…”

“You did what now?!” TK flinches because whoops.

“Erm, I mean...kind of.”

“Tyler Kennedy Strand, no one gets kind of arrested.” He hates it when she uses his full name, he groans.

“Okay well you can’t be mad.”

“You know when you tell me that I can’t be mad it’s usually because you’ve done something bad.” But she lets go of his face and sits back, tapping her foot against the stool impatiently, backing off, something she rarely used to do when he was younger. 

“Yeah okay, this was stupid. He made me dinner because he’s a nice thoughtful man that misread my signals of just wanting a casul hook up, and then said something about a marriage proposal and that struck a nerve because of Alex and the cheating, so I freaked, found myself a perfect little bar where a gay man can get beat up, got into a fight and then got arrested. He was the one to process me…”

“For real? Were you drunk? Or high?!”

“No, no, of course not. Mom, you would have heard about that. I was sober.”

“Well considering your track record, sober is better, but really? What in the world made you feel compelled to do something so stupid?” TK can’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah funny, Carlos said the exact same thing.”

“Oh, smart man.”

“So I told him why because I had been a complete dick and then I continued kind of blowing him off about the whole thing which was a relationship but also wasn’t. It was very undefined for a while. He obviously wanted us to be more serious but he wouldn’t pressure me into anything, not until I wanted it too and expressed that to him. He’s just an extremely good guy, and then shit happened and here we are.”

“Huh? Shit happened, is that how you would explain it?” She smirks. “I think I like this Carlos the more I hear about him though.”

“Told you, he is a good guy.”

“Well that’s what you deserve, a really good guy.”

“Thanks.” He says, eyes flitting away, but smiling because TK cannot remember the last time he felt so good about being with someone.

As hard as it is to admit, it’s easy being with Carlos and he makes him feel really happy, a feeling TK isn’t too used to experiencing. 

“So, is there a guest bedroom here or? Owen wasn’t exactly specific.” She changes the subject, satisfied for now, but he knows his mother, there will be more words and a longer conversation about everything that has happened since he left New York.

And for once he doesn’t actually mind it, it doesn’t bring him the usual dread or irrational fear of judgement that it used to when his mother wanted to talk to him about his life. TK feels different, he probably is different from when he left New York all those months ago, feeling more stable and secure in himself than he has in ages, unable to not let those emotions merge into his growing relationship with Carlos, so unable to not admit that Carlos has alighten something in his chest that is spreading like wildfire to every part of his body, igniting every cell in its way. Yeah, being with Carlos is unlike anything else. 

Apart from that it’s nice being at a point in his life where talking about his past doesn't make him want to run away in fear. 

“Yes, there is, I’ll show you.” 

“Perfect.”

For some it might be weird having your 50+ divorced parents of 20 years live under the same roof when one visits from out of state, for the Strands/Morgans it just isn’t. His parents should have probably gotten divorced sooner than they did, but once the conversation was actually out there the fighting and the yelling stopped, both of them realising it was for the best for all of them. And ever since they started co parenting, everything kind of settled and became better for all of them. Owen became more present, involved himself in TK’s life and Gwyneth stopped bearing resentment towards having to be a stay at home mom full time and finally had the time to build a career, a very long and successful career that was, while TK finally had the undivided attention of both his parents. And underneath the anger, his parents loved each other very much and after a while they learnt to be friends again.

Then TK screwed his life up a few times and put both of his parents through hell so yeah, it was good until it wasn’t. 

But he can’t deny it’s nice to see her after so long apart. He really has missed her.

……..

Carlos rolls off TK, both of them out of breath, and Carlos moves away for a moment to pull the duvet up from where it has landed on the floor.

“God.” TK gets out, completely blissed out. Carlos chuckles.

“Told you it would be good.”

“Yeah, you really weren’t lying.” He cracks one eye open, sees Carlos preen a little by the praise, a slow self satisfied grin by the corner of his lips and he huffs, but thinks Carlos has definitely earnt the moment of feeling a bit smug. He hasn’t had sex this good in probably ever so. 

Carlos sits up and TK doesn’t understand where he has gotten the energy to move, he really just wants to curl in on himself and fall asleep. But Carlos only goes to pick up his boxers that've been thrown to the floor to put them back on before he comes back to beed, crawling on top of TK.

“Hi.” He says, smiling brightly and TK opens his eyes, matches his expression and immediately wraps his arms around Carlos’ neck pulling him closer. 

“Hi.” Carlos leans forward and places a kiss on his exposed chest, just by the small scar from the gunshot wound, sending a shiver down his spine, skin extremely sensitive to touch. 

“Sooo…” Carlos begins. “Your mother has texted me inviting me over for dinner.” TK groans, that’s one hell of a mood killer for his afterglow moment.

“For fuck’s sake, no way?”

“Yep.” He laughs, picks up his phone from the nightstand to show the facebook message.

“She’s unbelievable, did she even check if I’m free at that time?”

“She did, with Owen.”

“Of course.”

“So, what should I expect?”

“An interrogation probably.” He says drily, but he sighs and pulls himself higher up against the headboard, getting more comfortable, Carlos moving with him. 

“Honestly? I don’t know. She can be quite a lot but once you get past that she’s like the loveliest person ever.”

“I see.” He looks thoughtful and TK pulls at his hair, getting his attention. 

“It will probably be intense, she has this whole overprotective thing going on…”

“Yeah, I got that.” He chuckles.

“In her defense I went through many rebellious phases.”

“That does not surprise me.”

“And addiction was the tip of the iceberg so to say…” Carlos grows a bit more serious, brows furrowed in concern, his attention on TK more direct than before because this is a serious subject when it’s broached, but his eyes are still soft and caring, full of love. It makes TK feel incredibly safe, he doesn’t feel judged, and it doesn’t feel like a messed up freak. There really aren’t many people he feels this way with. 

“I assume she took it badly?”

“Understatement of the year.” He snorts. It’s not something he likes thinking about because it’s by far the worst feeling of it all, letting down his parents, their disappointment and how scared they had been for him, yeah it was a lot.

“Let’s just say that I’ve put the both of them through a lot and the overprotectiveness isn’t totally uncalled for.”

“She just loves you a lot, I can tell.”

“That she does and she’s gotten a lot more chill than what she used to be, but I also pulled my shit together too so she let go of some of her worries.”

“You make it sound like caring about you is annoying.” Carlos points out and TK averts his eyes. 

“Is it not?” He looks back at Carlos and he looks sad, shaking his head.

“No of course not.” He reassures, tilting TK’s chin up so he can meet his eyes. 

“You wouldn’t know though, we’ve not been together long enough for you to make this decision.”

“Are you trying to make the decision for me?”

“No…” Carlos’ lip twitches.

“It sounds like it.” TK exhales, runs a hand through his hair.

“I guess I’m trying to give you a warning…”

“I don’t need one. I promise.”

“I just… I really don’t know how you can be so calm about everything, about my mother scaring you off with potential real or fake threats.” Carlos chuckles and kisses his nose before leaning back a little. TK sighs. “And about me, a 27 year old living at home with addiction problems, it’s a lot for anyone…”

“Okay first things first, because I sense that you care a lot and you want your mom to like me which, just really means a lot to me and makes me feel a little flattered to be honest. And also sometimes you become a little too introspective to notice what’s going on around you, of course I am nervous.”

“You are?”

“Yeah, a little, I want her to like me because she is important to you.” TK’s heart melts, he’s never been with anyone who cares about what his parents think. Alex was just never this gentle, maybe in the beginning, but never like the way Carlos is with him and it’s hard not to be swept away by him. He smiles, shyly, and Carlos’ huffs, leaning forward to gently kiss him again, something TK never thinks he will get enough of. 

Carlos is the first one to lean back though, eyes serious, brows furrowed in concern again, but somehow managing to look soft and kind when TK meets his eyes.

“To answer your second question. Your addiction might be part of your history, but you are not your addiction, I promise, I know you’re not. You’re so much more, you’re goddamn incredible and I-” He cuts himself and his passionate speech off, blushing, but determined to meet TK’s eyes and his heart flutter because what the fuck did he do to deserve this man? He really doesn’t know.

Carlos clears his throat.

“What I mean to say is that, you are this incredibly gentle and strong human being, there isn’t a part of you that’s not beautiful and I love getting to know you. The addiction is just a small part of the big puzzle that’s you and I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

TK blushes, makes a strange sound at the back of his throat and throws his head back to hide how completely taken he is. The earnestness of Carlos’ words strikes a chord within him, reverberates in his chest and settles on him like a comforting blanket and he feels a surge of emotions within rising to the surface, each one of them competing for dominance. 

Underneath the thin sheet separating them he’s naked, and everything about it makes him feel really vulnerable suddenly, like everything he tends to project to the world outside has been stripped back, unmasking him, leaving him desolate in the face of everything, and despite it Carlos looks at him like he sees him, it’s scary as hell, being seen and finding the person looking back at you actually liking the person they see. Sometimes TK thinks he prefers not being known, there is no pressure on him then, no one expects anything from him and he’s free to fuck up without feeling like he’s totally responsible for it.

It’s not healthy thinking but his brain isn’t exactly known for always having healthy thinking patterns.

So yes, TK is scared. But it’s not the only emotion he’s feeling when he looks at Carlos. 

It’s hard for him to recognise the feeling, the shape is so unusual to him. But he feels safe and he feels free, freer than he has in a long time and safer than he’s ever been in any relationship before. He can’t help but cling to it, cling to the sensation and the happiness it brings with itself. He knows what it feels like to be really really unhappy and right now all he wants is to learn the shape and feeling of being truly happy and at ease with someone. He wants to get to know the person he is when he is happy. He thinks Carlos is the start of it. 

“I-I don’t know what to say.” He whispers but meets his eyes and Carlos looks soft and beautiful, a curl sticking up at the back of his head, no doubt from TK’s intense pulling of it earlier. But all he sees is someone looking back at him with something that might be love, openness, a tenderness TK isn’t yet convinced he’s worthy of. But he wants to be.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Carlos reassures. “I just hope you believe in what I just said.”

“I’m starting to.” He shrugs, eyes flitting away, feeling suddenly shy. Mirth and fondness are mixing in Carlos’ eyes when he meets them again and he leans forward capturing TK in a hot and searing kiss. No more words need to be said, but something passes between them, both of them realising the weightness of it, the importance, and when Carlos looks at TK like this, he’s not scared anymore.

Now they just have to get through the dinner….but maybe that will be alright too. 

……

It’s not hard for Gwyneth to notice that TK is nervous, bordering on being a little unbearable actually if she's going to be honest. And it wasn’t exactly her intention to turn her son into a fidgeting, twitchy mess who changes his outfit three times and can’t seem to stop running his hands through his hair, messing it up even worse each time, like it will solve all the mysteries in the world. It’s sweet that he cares and values her opinion so much, but she feels bad, she isn’t this cruel.

So she puts the bowl of salad down on the table, set with Owen’s nicest silver, because she isn’t joking around when she says she wants to meet her boy’s partner and turns to her son.

“Okay.” TK stops moving as she takes a step towards him. “Honey, please calm down, you’re making me nervous, I’m not the one who is supposed to be nervous.” His mouth twitches into an almost smile, but not yet there, so her work isn’t done yet. 

“I promise I am going to be nice, okay?” He bites at his lip in confusion.

“Are you ever to any of my boyfriends.” And that’s fair.

“This one I promise to be to.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re all over the place and that’s not usually the case. You don’t normally seem too bothered by my opinions, on anything might I add.” That does make him smile and it immediately makes her feel better. He shrugs.

“I guess I do care about what you think, I just...I don’t know. It’s just different with him, I always feel like there is something wrong with me. I know there isn’t.” He interrupts her and she nods tightly. “I know there isn’t, but that feeling sometimes grows so strong it’s all I can feel, like I am wrong. So I act out, convincing myself it’s better that way, and I act irrational and badly because it’s hard to see clearly when I’ve convinced myself it’s the only way. But I don’t feel that way with Carlos, he doesn’t make me feel bad about anything.”

Gwyneth is speechless for a moment, something stuck in her throat, reacting to two things. TK talking so openly to her about his issues and thoughts, something he rarely does with her. It’s a sign of great progress on his end and it makes her feel so goddamn proud. But the other feeling, the much stronger one, is that the relief she feels that he might finally have found someone that values him, that sees him and still wants to get to get to know him it’s everything she’s ever wanted for him. 

“You’re going to make me cry.” She chides, wiping the tears away, trying not to mess her mascara up completely before the dinner. It would be off to a bad start if Carlos showed up with her having mascara stains all over her face. That just won’t fly today. 

TK chuckles and for a moment some of the earlier tension seems to disappear from him, making him look younger and lighter. It’s an unusual sight on him because Gwyneth knows her child, he can get stuck in that head of his and can come up with all sorts of things that aren’t true and yet convince himself that they are, making the worst decisions because of it, carrying the world on his shoulders when he does. As a bystander it’s hard to stand by and watch it happen, as his mother it’s the most difficult thing she’s had to learn to live with, to suppress every urge she has to protect him. She’s learning, but it’s slow work for someone like her.

None of them have the time to think more about it because the doorbell rings and TK moves away from her grasp, leaving her standing alone. For a moment Gwyneth is thrown back to all the other times this has happened, when he was 2 and a half and started kindergarten and he ran away without a second look at her to join his peers, her hand hanging awkwardly in the air where he left her. That was the start of a series of losses she’s never quite known how to move on from, dislodging something inside of her she’s never managed to heal from, leaving with it a lingering sense that he’s going somewhere she can’t quite follow. 

Having only had one child had made all the firsts feel much more final, the empty sensation of loss in her that it had left, so permanent, ingrained into her soul, that she sometimes didn’t know how to move on from it. It wasn’t something she’d expected when she became a mother, she wanted to raise her son to be independent and free from all of her issues, but the impulses to protect him from everything was so overpowering when he was little she forgot to live for herself for a long time. 

Learning to be a person again after that, and the divorce, to pick up the scattered pieces of a life so unfamiliar to her after, was much both harder and easier than she had expected it to be. Easier because she longed for some freedom of her own, to build a career, to earn money, to feel like her old self. And much much harder because of the constant guilt she carried with her, of feeling like a terrible mother, of letting TK down. And she had let him down at the end of the day. 

She shakes herself out of it when TK opens the door, beaming, the smile so bright it distracts her for a moment from her wandering thoughts. He’s radiating excitement when he sees Carlos, body at ease, looking happier than she can remember seeing him in a long time.

Carlos stands there when the door opens, eyes softening immediately as he takes TK in in a rapt fashion, liking what he sees. Gwyneth tries not to focus on it, being good at reading people is a good skill to have, but maybe not right now.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Carlos says easily. “Are you going to let me in?”

“In a moment.” TK jokes but steps aside. 

Gwyneth comes forward, decides to join the two of them and not hide in the shadows and Carlos smiles when he sees her, only a little tightly.

“Are those for me?” She eyes the flowers, trying to ease the tension between them all. Carlos chuckles, a little awkwardly and shakes his head.

“No, they’re actually for TK.” His eyes widen and he steps forward jerkingly, his eyes flitting up to Carlos in uncertainty before he takes them. Carlos shoots her an apologetic look, maybe realising that he should have brought her something too. She waves her hand dismissively.

“Thanks.” TK stands with the flowers awkwardly in his hands, like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

“Here, let me take them for you.” She steps in and takes them off him, sees her son give her a grateful nod before his attention moves back to Carlos, only having eyes for him. 

A ton of emotions flit across his face, strongest of them all seems to be that little smile that seems to have become a permanent fixture on her son’s face regarding Carlos. Right now he’s so unguarded, less burdened by a past full of struggle, and met by too sharp eyes, sweet and sympathetic, comfortable, and very very perceptive. 

She gives them a moment, walks into the kitchen to look through Owen’s many cupboards, on her way finding way too much protein powder and healthy snacks than she cares about knowing the brands of, before she finally finds a vase for the pretty bouquet. The bouquet of flowers are gorgeous and Gwyneth thinks that Carlos has an eye for these things, not many people would be able to colour her impressed by flowers, but she is and she makes the decision that it’s best she takes care of them so TK doesn’t kill them, it would be such a shame. She fills the vase up with water and puts it on the kitchen island until TK finds a more permanent spot to keep them.

She’s finding herself way more emotional than she’d ever expected to be for a dinner with her son’s boyfriend, and for a moment she’s inclined to text Owen that he was right about Carlos, but she doesn’t. She wants to talk to him some more before she passes judgement. But she agrees with both her son and ex husband, Carlos seems to be a really good guy, she really can’t disagree with that. 

TK and Carlos are sitting down when she joins them, sharing a private little smile between each other. She hides her own one, not wanting to draw attention to herself and sits down too.

“It looks delicious Mrs. Morgan.” Carlos says and she huffs, waves her hand.

“Gwyneth please, I’ve never felt much like a Mrs. Morgan to be honest.” Carlos shoots TK a confused look.

“I never changed my name when I married Owen, I’ve always been a Morgan, it felt important somehow.” She explains.

“Yes, TK told me you’re not in contact with your family.”

“No, not anymore unfortunately. I kept the name though just in case.” She tries keeping the bitterness out of her words but judging by TK’s kind look it’s not totally successful. “But then my only child was definitely a Strand and not a Morgan so he got the name.” She pushes past the lingering awkwardness talking about her family leaves in the air. 

“Tyler Kennedy, where did it come from, he won’t tell me.” TK winces and Gwyneth rolls her eyes at the childhood tik that won’t go away.

“My father and Owen’s father, we couldn’t decide on which one we liked more so he got both.”

“I decided early that TK was better.”

“You couldn’t say your name until you were 3, that’s how the nickname came to be.” She corrects him and he sends her a betrayed look while Carlos chuckles, Gwyneth hiding her smile behind her glass of water. 

“So, Carlos.” His attention snaps to her and he looks much more comfortable than he has before, only a lingering look of something less certain in his eyes. “You’re a police officer correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.” 

“And you like it?” A much more genuine look takes over his face and he nods enthusiastically. 

“Yes very much. I like being out in the field and meeting people. I don’t know, doing this job makes it feel like I can help them, make a small difference maybe.” She smiles at the pride in his voice, shoots her son a look, this is something she’s heard a few times from both husband and son before. 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” She chuckles kindly and Carlos smiles.

“What do you think of Texas so far, ever been out here before?” She shakes her head.

“Surprisingly humid.”

“See? That’s what I said too and Carlos called me a snob.” TK chips in and Carlos the poor man blushes.

“Oh don’t mind me, I agree my son is a bit of a snob.” TK glares and a relieved laugh escapes Carlos. “He’s Owen’s son for sure.”

“Need I remind you that you have a pair of Prada shoes in your bag costing over 500 dollars.” TK points out and she rolls her eyes. “Also you’re just as bad as my dad with your beauty products and clothes and unnecessarily expensive utilities at home. If you’re calling me a snob it’s only a reflection of yourself and how you raised me.” He points out, an eyebrow raised sassily. 

“Carlos, you know my son has about twenty tracksuits laying around in his closet, he probably has even more now. If you could persuade him to give some away to Goodwill I’d be very thankful to you.” TK opens his mouth and pouts, sending Carlos a pleading look.

“I need all of those, they are stylish and comfortable.” He defends and Carlos takes his hand that’s laying on the table, squeezing comfortably.

“I really like you, but because of our earlier discussion I need your mom to really like me, so I might side with her on this.” TK gapes.

“No, no way, don’t let her corrupt you.”

They all laugh and Carlos reaches up to place a kiss on TK’s hand, making him blush.

The air has been cleared though, aired out of any lingering insecurities and both TK and Carlos relax much more and the dinner turns comfortable and nice after. They chat, all of them, but TK leaves Gwyneth and Carlos to do most of the talking, seems happy to just send Carlos looks here and there, listening to the two of them jump from subject to subject. 

By the time dessert rolls around she really has no complaints.

TK’s phone starts ringing and annoyed he puts it back down on the table when he sees the name Mateo flash across the screen. He clicks the call away. But as soon as he’s done that it starts ringing again and again. Gwyneth lifts an eyebrow. TK groans.

“Mateo, what do you want?” TK says, much kinder than what Gwyneth thought he would. He sends Carlos an apologetic look as he gets up, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezes just for a moment, listening intently to what Mateo is saying on the other end, rolling his eyes fondly. 

“Did you really need to call me for this? Yes, yes I am listening.” They can hear him say as his voice becomes quieter and quieter as he walks away, leaving just the two of them. 

Carlos clears his throat, fiddling with the empty glass in front of him. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, like he’s uncertain whether to speak or not. But he seems to settle on something and he meets Gwyneth’s eyes when he starts talking.

“I know you might be unhappy with me dating TK… considering what he’s been through I just wanted to let you know that I understand your apprehension about it and me. I guess.. I guess I just wanted to let you know anyway that I really like him and you don’t need to worry…” He’s blushing slightly, but even so he meets her eyes, determination, a fire in them that doesn’t make her doubt that he’s very much dedicated to his and TK’s relationship.

She sighs, waves a hand dismissively and takes a sip of the water, pathetically wishing it was wine for a moment. 

“No Carlos, I probably owe you an apology. My reaction to you dating TK is a reflection of myself and my issues, not of you, I promise.” She sighs again, sees Carlos look a little unsure and she gets that. She can come across a bit too strong at times and she’s given Carlos no reason not to believe that her slight hostility towards him had to do with her rather than him. She looks down at her hands, fiddles with the many rings on her fingers to gather her thoughts together.

“You know, every time Owen calls me I panic… I freeze up and for a moment the only thing I can hear is my own heartbeat in my ears, and my hands start to shake and I think, if I pick up that phone he’s going to tell me my son is dead…” She shakes her head, fleetingly meets his eyes, before she smiles sadly.

“It’s been a rough year so to say, Owen’s cancer diagnosis, TK overdosing again, then he ends up in a coma. I’ve been through some of the worst case scenarios with him, even so I can’t help but fear that the next phone call will be an even worse one...So yes I have some issues regarding letting my son go and do what he wants. It’s not a recent thing and it has nothing to do with you, I swear.”

“I’m sorry, he’s told me some of his past. But I understand he isn’t the only one who’s struggling with everything that has happened.” He offers, but he’s so sincere that all Gwyneth can do is nod for the moment. 

“Yeah...if he did, then it means he trusts you a lot.” Carlos’ mouth twitches into a small little smile and he nods, seriously, seemingly understanding the importance of that trust, and meets her eyes.

“I’m very happy to hear that. I just want him to know that I would never judge him for what he’s been through, I try and tell him that.” She smiles. 

“I don’t think Alex ever knew, but I can’t be sure. I never did like him anyway.”

“No, TK said that too.”

“He wasn’t good enough for him. In my head no one might ever be. But it’s not my decision to make, I’m trying to take a step back from it all, let TK do what he wants and needs to. Owen has always been much better at that, I don’t know how he does it.”

“Well, he’s your only child.”

“Yes, that he is. Do you have siblings Carlos?”

“I do yes, three sisters.” He says, eyes lighting up when he mentions them. It makes her smile.

“That’s lovely, are you close?”

“Yeah, we’re a pretty tight family, we always have been.”

“I’m very happy to hear that.” He smiles again, genuinely and something settles between them again.

They’re both quiet for a moment, it’s comfortable, but Gwyneth feels she needs to say more, she isn’t sure why that is but she sighs, ashamed she can’t blame her loose tongue on a drink.

“I used to be close to my family too. My parents were very strict when I grew up and I promised myself I wouldn’t be the same.” She rolls her eyes. “Obviously that was a lie. I mean I’m not as strict as they were with me, but some of it rubbed off on me for sure and I became a little too overprotective instead. Call it what you want, instinct, insanity maybe, but I worry, constantly about him. He’s strong, he’s had to be so strong for a lot of his life, but I still worry.” She looks over her shoulder, in case she can spot him, but he’s left the room, no trace of him. She has a sudden urge to pull him close again, so she can convince herself that he will be safe now, she pushes it down. 

“I get it.” She looks back at Carlos, and she’s met by perceptive kind eyes. Understanding between strangers. 

“Part of it I get. I’ve always had an instinct, or urge maybe to protect the people I care about. I chased boys off my older sister who wouldn’t take no for an answer when we were in school, I remember being very young and still standing guard outside a local shop near me when teenagers would damaged the property and I did what I could to help my mother when she worked three jobs to be able to support us growing up, it’s always been there. It’s why I became a police officer, because I wanted to help people in my community, to do what I could so it would be a little safer for them. But I feel it with TK too. Not that he needs my help or protection because he can’t fend for himself, but because I just have a feeling he’s gone too long without anyone seeing and appreciating him for who he is. I want to be that person for him.”

She bites her lip hard, and she chuckles to prevent the sob from escaping. Carlos’ eyes widen and he looks like he might leap out of his chair to get to her side and she shakes her head, puts her hand on the table so he can take it instead. He does and she squeezes, hoping it will show how grateful she is to hear him say that.

“That’s… God, I really don’t know what to say. I’m getting emotional, I’m sorry, it’s just, I feel relieved to hear you say that.”

“He is amazing.” Gwyneth chuckles at his earnestness.

“Yeah, I’m proud of him. He’s come far and he’s so much happier compared to what I’ve seen him in ages. I love him, he loves me, but we’ve not always been good at communicating with each other. He’s stubborn like Owen but he’s got my temper for sure and for a while when he was younger it could get a little explosive between us.”

“Yeah, I mean I’m not too surprised to hear that.” Carlos offers. “But isn’t that most teenagers? Pissing off our parents?”

“You talk like you have experience?” She jokes. He chuckles, averts his eyes for a moment.

“Some.”

“Yeah, he was a fiesty teenager. But beneath a very happy and outgoing kid, hid an anxious and nervous one that didn’t know how to cope with everything always and I didn’t see that. I feel tremendous guilt for letting him down.”

“Hey, don’t… don’t be so hard on yourself. It wasn’t your fault and TK he loves you, he doesn’t blame you. For any of it.” She squeezes his hand, smiles tightly.

“You’re very kind to say that, but I did let him down, no matter how much he won’t admit to it.” Carlos opens his mouth again and she musters up a wane smile, because despite not knowing her at all he still wants to defend her, and beats him to it. ”Did he ever tell you about how me and Owen found out about the drugs?” Carlos shakes his head.

“He hasn’t told me everything, but some of it. He told me how he started and why he started using.” She nods.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for it… I was out at a dinner with some important clients when Owen called. He called five times and I hung up every time, until I turned my phone off completely. I couldn’t deal with whatever it was that he wanted, convinced it could wait. He called my assistant who was luckily also at that dinner and she was the one that took the call. Owen was supposed to be at work, a 24 hour shift or something like that, but he had to stay home because he got the flu. And TK… he knew Owen was going to be out that weekend so he’d planned it of course. He didn’t want us to find out, but then once I got the call all I could hear was Owen shouting at me to get over to his apartment because our son was going through withdrawal puking his guts out in the bathroom…” 

Furiously she wipes at her eyes and she squeezes Carlos hand before she takes hers away, grips the table so he won’t see how much it hurts her to talk about this, she can’t meet his eyes just yet.

Finding out that her son had taken drugs for years without her knowledge had broken something inside of her, something irreparable had been damaged. 

“He had just turned 20, recently told me he would sign up to join the fire academy after taking some time off after high school to earn some money. When I got to the apartment he had fallen asleep on the couch, absolutely exhausted after spending hours on the bathroom floor, Owen trying to do everything he could to help.” Her voice breaks just thinking of the memory. Her son ghostly pale, sweat clinging to his forehead, sleep fitful, hands shaking from time to time, shivering underneath the thin blanket covering him. The whole apartment had smelt of puke and antiseptic, Owen’s hands red from scrubbing the bathroom floor clean, face utterly broken in a way she had never seen before.

She had never felt more powerless than in that moment, finding out that her son had suffered so much and for so long without any of them knowing. Gwyneth blamed herself because who else was there to blame? When she had finally managed to become pregnant with TK, she had been so scared of messing up, of doing all the wrong things a mother could do, of not being there, of being too much, of saying all the wrong things. And she had messed up, despite what all her shrinks had said, it was her fault, and she had accepted that she would live with that burden until she died. 

“Ah.” She sighs, looks up to see Carlos looking back at her, non judgemental eyes, kind. “This really isn’t how I planned this dinner to go. You must think I am crazy.” She laughs wetly, wipes at her eyes and Carlos shakes his head.

“Honestly, I’m a cop, I’m used to strange and crazy situations, this is fine.” He reassures and she snorts. 

“Can I say something?” He asks and she nods, not sure she could really say no.

“Despite what you might think TK really is amazing, he’s incredible, caring, funny, a little goofy, and I love every moment I get to spend with him. And he’s that way because you raised him to be this way, that’s all you, and Owen too. And he’s strong and resilient and a little stubborn at times. But he doesn’t blame you for what happened to him, I don’t think you’ll believe me when I tell you it wasn’t your fault what happened, but I promise, it really wasn’t anyone’s, you couldn’t have predicted it were to happen and I don’t think carrying around this guilt is going to do anyone any good, especially not when TK is learning to let go of some of it too by going to therapy, it’s ironic you tell him that and then don’t lead by your own words.” His voice doesn’t waver, even when he calls her out because he’s right, logically she knows that.

She snorts, shakes her head and then smiles at him.

“He did say you were clever.” She jokes and Carlos laughs too and shrugs.

“There’s so much pain in all of your history, I’m just hoping you could all learn to heal and move forwards.”

She lets out a breath she hasn’t been aware she’s been holding, but for the first time in a while it feels like she’s coming up for a fresh breath of air. 

“He’s really lucky having found you… I’m so happy for him. It’s been a wish of mine that he would find someone that cares about him the same way he cares about most people. It seems he could have found no one better to fill that role.” That makes him blush and he looks away, but not for too long. He looks back, intelligent kind eyes, and she knows that TK is going to be okay. Most of the tension alleviates from her chest, leaving her more optimistic about everything than she’s been in a while. 

“Thank you, I will try my best to be worthy of him.”

She beams but before she can muster up a response TK walks back in, pocketing his phone, fondness mixing with annoyance in his eyes.

“Emergency diverted, Mateo -” He stops, looks between the two of them, his eyes landing on his mother suspiciously.

“What have you been doing while I’ve been gone?”

Carlos mimics locking his mouth and throwing away the key while she gives him a secretive little smile and TK’s eyes narrow.

“Nothing, nothing.” She gets up, picks her and TK’s empty plate up, laughing as TK sputters at her indignantly, leaving the two of them to have a moment to themselves. She laughs, puts the plates in the sink before she takes her phone up. She brings up Owen’s and her conversation.

‘You were right.’

The reply comes almost immediately. 

‘Yeah, yeah, he’s a good one.’

She smiles. 

Seeing the way Carlos is with TK makes all the worry she’s carried with her diminish slightly, it probably never will go away, but this is preferable to what she’s been feeling. The most profound feeling a mother can have is knowing that her son is going to be alright, and for once she really thinks he will be. Not just because of Carlos, but because he is strong, he’s trying and he has someone with him who seems to value him so much it could compete with her own. 

She doesn’t think she’s ever been happier.

…..

The dinner is over and TK has survived it. Well, more like, Carlos has survived it, walking out with his head held high and his mother looking at him with approval shining in her eyes. She’s in the kitchen, putting things away and TK will go join her in a minute to help. He’s just a little preoccupied with the handsome man standing in front of him.

“You did well.” He compliments and Carlos’ eyes dance at the praise.

“Why thank you. She’s awesome by the way, your mother.”

“God, I can already tell you’re going to gang up on me together.” But there is no bite in his voice, he wouldn’t mind that one bit, it’s better to the alternative. Now all the people he cares about has approved of Carlos, there really isn’t anything stopping this relationship now. 

Carlos chuckles, steps in closer, shoots a look at the kitchen before he kisses him chastely. When Carlos breaks it off TK bites back his complaint.

“So...do you maybe want to come with me for a bit? Stay over or something, if you want to of course, and if you don’t have anything else you need to do?” He asks a little uncertainty, like he doesn’t want to push or presume, his eyes moving to Gwyneth who comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands off a towel. TK looks at her, then at Carlos, feeling a little bad that he does want to leave with him, grappling with the feeling of abandoning her. Gwyneth lifts an eyebrow.

“I might go with Carlos, if that’s okay with you?” She rolls her eyes.

“Yes of course, go, have fun. Not too much fun though.” He blushes and glares as she smirks. 

“You will hear no complaints from me.” She reassures him though and he’s thankful for that. “I’ll be fine.” He nods and steps away, momentarily from Carlos.

“Okay, well don’t scare him off, I’ll be gone just a moment.” She scoffs and swats the towel after him as he leaves, laughing as he does. He quickly packs an overnight bag, bringing just the essentials and hurries back out to the hallway where Carlos is full on laughing, Gwnyeth looking delighted.

Oh no.

“What embarrassing stories have you told him about me now?” 

Gwyneth smirks.

“Just how when you were ten and you sneaked into the kitchen to steal your birthday cake and spent most of the evening stuffing your face with it and then we had to cancel your birthday party because you were ill.”

He groans.

“Really?” He glares and his mother has the audacity to look smug and at Carlos who looks absolutely delighted by this information.

“Introducing the two of you was such a bad idea.” He jokes. 

“Yep. So I shan’t expect you home tonight then I take it?” She eyes the bag and TK bites his lip, preventing himself from smiling too brightly. She snorts.

“Use protection.”

“Mom!” He squeaks and she laughs again, clearly enjoying it a little too much. She pulls him close and kisses his cheek before she waves at Carlos.

“See you when I see you.”

“I’ll text you.” He promises and she nods gratefully. She closes the door after them and Carlos pulls him close, wrapping an arm around him. He feels Carlos smile against his temple when he places a kiss there and TK feels butterflies erupt in his stomach. 

“Where are we going?” He questions when they are in the car. “To your place?”

“Nope.” He pops the P, smirking.

“No? Then where.”

“You’ll see.” He says cryptically and TK huffs, but not really annoyed.

He is excited.

The drive takes about 30 minutes and when they stop Carlos has taken them to the same spot he took them after the solar storm. He gives TK a shy little smile before he gets out daring TK to follow him. He doesn’t hesitate to do so. Carlos has brought a blanket with him, it’s not cold but it’s a chillier night than when the solar storm hit, and he pats the hood of the car before he gets up, TK joining him without hesitation. The motor is still pleasantly warm from the drive over and the hood is a comfortable warmth to lie on. Carlos opens his arms and TK smiles before he snuggles close, covering the both of them with the blanket he brought. He’s about to make some cheesy remark about this but when he looks up and spots the dark sky above them, all the words die on his lips.

“Woah.” He says, breathless and Carlos watches him for a moment, a smirk, that turns much softer before he nods and also looks at the beautiful sky with stars as far as the eye can see. TK’s never seen stars like this, it’s breathtaking.

“Okay, New York definitely doesn’t have this.”

“So, finally found something Texas does better?”

“I can think of a few other things too.” He smiles softly, meets Carlos’ eyes before he looks back up, not able to take his eyes away.

“Yeah, the first time I drove out here I was overwhelmed too. I don’t think it’s a sight you get used to.”

“How did you find this place anyway?”

“It’s a popular place for hiking and camping. In high school we were forced on a mandatory trip. Let’s just say I might have snuck out in the middle of the night for some light fooling around with a boy and stumbled upon it.” He admits.

“Ahh, of course, how sneaky of you, and here I thought you were a straight A student.”

“I was a straight A student.” He huffs, offended. “But I might have broken some rules here and there, sneakily enough so that no one noticed.”

“Ah, yes that does sound more like you.” Carlos laughs and gently pushes his shoulder. TK retaliates by snuggling closer to him, placing a gentle kiss on his exposed throat.

“But I used to come out here when it got a lot back home. Particularly after my abuela died, the house was stifling with all the grief. She was… just everything and the loss was just so profound that I needed a break from holding all the pieces together at home. So I started coming here to get a bit of a break from it all.”

“I’m sorry about your grandmother.” TK offers, feeling stupid because it’s not enough. Carlos eyes finds his and he smiles softly.

“She would have loved you.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. We were close, she was close to everyone in the family I guess but we got along the best her and I. She was a big support when I decided to come out.”

“That’s lovely, I’m happy you had someone like that.”

“Me too, and you? Owen and Gwyneth were fine with it?”

“Oh yeah, they were. It was my grandparents that weren’t. My mom’s parents are religious, like really religious and they were definitely not accepting of the whole gay grandkid thing and it set off a massive fight. When the conversation about conversion therapy came up my mom told them to fuck off and I haven’t seen them since.”

“Yikes.” Carlos winces.

“Yeah...I never needed them though. Like sure it would have been nice to have grandparents but at the end of the day it didn’t matter. I had two very loving and supportive parents and that was enough.”

“Yeah, I get that. I only really grew up with my closest family and my grandma too, other than that I didn’t feel the need to have a big family around either.”

“Yeah...I worry about her though, my mom. That she’s lonely. Ever since I was old enough to decide for myself I’ve lived with my dad. His apartment was closer to school and when I turned 15 I really couldn’t be bothered to switch weeks between them and then I just kind of stayed there…”

“Hey, I’m sure she isn’t. She is really focused on her career, maybe that and you are enough for her.” TK shrugs.

“Maybe, it was easier when I lived in New York, I didn’t have to feel so guilty about leaving her…” It’s not something he likes to think about, but a big part of him really feels like he did abandon her and he hates the feeling so much. “Did you know she was so angry when I told her I wanted to become a firefighter?”

“Really?” Carlos raises an eyebrow.

“Furious. Not at me, well a little at me, but mostly she was angry at my dad. She felt betrayed and accused him of stealing me, that the only reason I signed up was so that I could be closer to him because he’d neglected me for so much of my childhood.”

“Ouch…” Carlos winces again, but he nudges TK’s head with his nose and when he looks up he’s met by the most beautiful kind eyes. He’s starting to love being on the receiving end of them.

“Yeah…”

“Was she right?” TK bites at his lip, shrugs.

“Maybe, I’m not sure. I guess a little. But that changed pretty quickly when I joined the academy and later a firehouse. I understood why my dad did it, why he dedicated so much time to it and I could never see myself do anything else. It’s my life, what I’m meant to do.” He confesses and a small smile curls at the corner of Carlos’ lip, lighting up his beautiful face.

“I think she just loves you so much she doesn’t always know what to do with the feeling.” TK snorts.

“You got that feeling after spending one dinner with her?” Carlos chuckles.

“She isn’t the only perceptive one.” He says. “Let’s just say we had a talk when you were on the phone.”

“Ah, what did she say? Did she tell you all my deepest darkest secrets?” Carlos chuckles before he grows a little more serious, making TK look at him more fully.

“Just a little about the addiction.” TK nods, doesn’t feel the discomforting prickle underneath his skin that he normally does when he’s forced to talk about his past. 

“Yeah I figured…”

“But mostly about how much she loves you and how no one will ever be good enough for you.” TK snorts.

“And you managed to charm her?”

“I just told her the truth.”

“Oh yeah, and what is that?” He lifts an eyebrow teasingly.

“Just that you’re one of the most amazing people I have ever met and I love spending every minute with you, I can’t get enough.” It makes TK’s breath hitch, he’s so unused to being with someone who gives affection so easily, like it’s as natural as breathing, who can just say what he wants and feels all the time, without it being a big deal for him. 

Shyly he bites at his lip, feels Carlos' sincere eyes look back at him and he reaches up, tilts his head so he can meet Carlos’ mouth. For a moment it’s just a sweet little kiss, until Carlos makes a sound at the back of his throat and grabs his neck, gently angling his head so he can deepen the kiss. His own hand rests on Carlos’ strong forearm and the kiss grows a little more intense, making his toes curl in his sneakers, while still managing to be sweet. 

It’s so perfect and TK really feels high at the moment. After a while they break away, their foreheads resting on each other’s and slowly he blinks his eyes open, sees Carlos look back at him a little dazed and he giggles, because it’s adorable.

“I feel safe with you.” He whispers, not because he’s afraid to say it, somehow he really isn’t. He just doesn’t want to break the moment between them. A breathtakingly beautiful smile breaks across Carlos’ face, his eyes crinkled in happiness and TK has never seen anyone as beautiful as him.

“Yeah?” Carlos whispers, unable to hide his giddiness and TK smiles back, laughs quietly before he nods.

“Yeah.” He promises.

“I’m so happy to have met you.” Carlos confesses, his eyes bright, unwavering. 

“Me too.” He whispers back. They look at each other, soft smiles at the corners of their mouths, feeling happy and giddy. It should be silly, because TK feels like, he doesn’t know, like in high school when he got a crush on a boy and couldn’t think about anything else for days on end. It feels like that with Carlos too, only so much better and bigger and more important somehow. He never wants the feeling to go away. 

Carlos intertwines their hands and places a kiss on his palm before TK snuggles closer to him, laying his head down on his chest, feels Carlos’ hand settle on his waist as they watch the stars for a while longer, lost in the moment and in each other’s company.

Maybe, just maybe this will be a really good year TK can’t help but think. He’s looking forward to spending every moment he can with Carlos, he hasn’t felt like this in ages.

Happiness is the most addictive drug he’s ever tried, and being wrapped up in Carlos’ arms, he thinks he’s finally found the source to it. 

That’s of course until he finds out about the world wide pandemic…..

**Author's Note:**

> I had planned for this to be a short little fic, 3-5000 words, but oh god...I really shouldn't plan my fics in my head beforehand because here I am 13 000 words later with a very tired brain. When I started with this I really hadn't planned for well what this turned out to be.
> 
> I rewrote it a few times and I'm still not quite happy with it, but it's as good as it's going to be I think, otherwise it will just lie and gather dust on my drive. 
> 
> I wrote Gwyneth like this because there has been no scenes between her and TK in the show... and the only reason I can excuse it is because well realistically they've been together for 4 months and she's seen that TK is doing better since New York and because she has already met Carlos a few times and liked him. It's a shame we didn't get to see those scenes though...
> 
> So I hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
